Tag Archives: History

IN A past column I spoke about earthlings. Here comes Pare Ely de los Santos talking about “alien candidates”. But, of course he is not referring to extra-terrestrials. I agree, though, with much of Pare Ely’s wondering aloud about “alien candidates” joining the political fray in Negros Occidental. However, rather than dwell on the “who”, I look instead into the “why” of the matter.

I have always shared the view that a political system is a product of the economic base that produces wealth and sustenance for society. It was not unusual that during the halcyon days of sugar, the makeup of the political leadership in Negros Occidental, particularly, Bacolod City, was determined by the demands and requirements of sugar production. It was not particularly remote that all positions of power in the province were configured according to the sharing arrangements among the captains of the sugar industry.

Northern Negros then was lorded over by the Gustilos, central Negros by the Montelibanos, and the south by the Gatuslaos and the Montillas. The governorship of the province was a perennial contest among these sugar families. Indeed, the composition of Negros Occidental’s political structure might as well have been decided on some golf course, or in some sugar industry boardrooms. The capital is well within the central territory so it was not unusual that Bacolod City Hall would be shaped and molded by the Montelibano hand, perhaps with some accommodation for the other parties in the city council.

The configuration radically changed with martial law. Taking advantage of the crisis in the early seventies, Marcos made a coup by appointing his close friend Roberto Benedicto to take over the reins of the sugar industry. The traditional political leaders were caught flat-footed and different interests started to redefine the political make up. Loyalties began to shift, and new organizations cropped up, setting off an exodus of people from traditional parties. Negros politics was never the same again.

The downfall of Marcos did not lead to the rebuilding of the sugar industry. Rather, the dismantling of the sugar monopoly only led to further weakening of the politics of sugar. The passing of the strong traditional industrial leaders spawned a sprouting of several groups and associations unable or unwilling to work with one another. This lack of unity has placed sugar planters at a disadvantage in dealing with millers and traders. It has also weakened the position of the industry in the shaping of government regulatory policy and legislation.

As a result, the sugar industry has lost, not only its capacity to create wealth and sustain development, but also its challenge and appeal as a socio-economic venture. The haciendero is a disappearing breed, unable to find second-liners in this generation. In politics, this is reflected in the lack of new leadership stock, creating openings for personalities presenting alternative thought.

The appearance in the Negros political scene of “alien candidates” as Pare Ely would put it, is symptomatic of a search for fresh political leadership in a Negros society looking for a new economy. These “aliens” might as well represent new ideas untainted by the sugar experience.

I am not surprised that these new faces present themselves in what used to be the sugar heartland-Benitez in the third district, Gonzales and Golez in Bacolod City.

Of all the sections of Negros Occidental, the third district is practically dependent on sugar production for its survival and existence. However, faced with a rapidly growing population, the industry is no longer able to promise or propel development. Clearly, confronted by an uncertain future, the district has to open its marketplace of ideas to alternative development paths.

Bacolod City, on the other hand, suffers from an ambivalence of direction. For lack of a definitive economic path, its political structure cannot but be a holdover from the fallout following the demise of traditional political clans. The present leadership and the challengers are of the same cast and mold, creations of erstwhile politicians with no original principles of their own. Expectedly, their political battles are not in the presentation of new ideas, but in the tug-of-war for the control of aging organizations left behind by the demise of traditional leaders. These are not men pedigreed in the crucible of development and historical decisions; rather, these are people who go at each other’s throats fighting over the spoils and crumbs of long-forgotten battles. During the past years, Bacolod City grew not because of them, but in spite of them.

Today, if we look closely at the explosion of new business enterprises, we are actually seeing the shift of a large portion of resources from agricultural investment to non-traditional projects. It will not be long before these new and young entrepreneurs would realize that failures in these new projects are not because they thought out bad business schemes, but primarily due to the lack of strong market fundamentals in a primarily agri-based economy. Clearly, new ideas are called for.

Instead of looking at these “aliens” with suspicion then, I would say let us welcome them and listen to what they have to say. We might just be in for surprises.

In the mid 19th century, Spanish interest in developing the Philippine economy was in full swing.

With the once lucrative Manila-Acapulco Galleon Trade in irreversible decline, Spain was hard pressed to find other means to defray the costs of her farthest colony. The situation was equally dire on the political front as her Latin American colonies severed ties and declared independence from mother Spain. These events thrust the Philippine islands, originally one of the smallest Spanish colonies, into one of its largest colonial possessions.

One of the initiatives of the Spanish Crown was to transform the Philippines into an export-oriented economy through the cultivation of cash crops. To make full use of lands and reach highest efficiency, authorities initiated a regional specialization plan for agriculture. Tobacco was to be planted in Ilocos and Cagayan, Abaca in Bicol, Coffee in Batangas and Sugar in Pampanga, Tarlac and Negros.

Mapa de las Islas Filipinas

It was then that the frontier of Negros island was swung open to trade via the Queen City of the South, Iloilo. Over the years, Iloilo had grown rich because of its textile industry and lucrative trade through its fine port reached through the wide and deep Iloilo river.

Landing at the Iloilo Port

Iloilo’s merchants and mestizos were the first to buy parcels of land on Negros and when the textile market was sent into decline by international forces beyond their control, they had all but jumped onto the boat to Negros that was slowly being cultivated into “Sugarland.” Sugar had given them a second wind and like all great fronteirs the island of Negros was to be the immigrant’s land of promise.

So begins most of the family histories and genealogies of the clans of Negros.

The Gatuslao clan of Himamaylan is no exception. Based on the first letter of their surname – “G” – it is said that the Gatuslaos and other families whose names start with “G” were originally from the town of Guimbal in southern Iloilo.

Guimbal church

Visayan Daily Star columnist and history buff Primo Esleyer writes, “Hamletting was the reason why people in Iloilo have their family names start with the first letter of the town. Those from San Joaquin have their family names start with letter “S,” those in Miagao, “M,” in Guimbal “G,” Tigbauan “T,” up to the northern towns, “J” in Jaro, “D” in Dumangas, “B” in Barotac, and so forth.”

It was through this process of hamletting or reduccionthat the Spaniards were able to administer the towns more effectively and controlled the movement of natives from town to town.

In fact, there are still Gatuslaos residing in Guimbal and stories have it that the Gatuslaos settled in Himamaylan because currents would take sailboats from Guimbal straight to the beaches of Sara-et or Talaban.

So it could be said the Gatuslaos of Himamaylan, just like other old families of Negros, were of immigrant stock who found their way to Sugarland amidst the burgeoning sugar industry. Don Serafin, patriarch of the Gatuslao political dynasty, however, took on a slightly different route and his story is anything but ordinary.